Madagascar

In Madagascar we are working together with other European zoos to protect the last remaining populations of two critically endangered lemur species, the blue-eyed black lemur and the Sahamalaza sportive lemur. Both occur exclusively on and adjacent to the Sahamalaza Peninsula in the northwest of the island and are threatened by habitat destruction and hunting.

Sahamalaza research site

The Association Européenne pour l’Etude et la Conservation des Lémuriens (AEECL) maintains a research and conservation station in the Ankarafa Forest on the Sahamalaza Peninsula, north-west Madagascar. The field station is situated within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and APMC (Aire Protégée Marine et Côtière – protected marine and coastal area) Sahamalaza - Iles Radama. The National Park of Sahamalaza extends between 13°52’S and 14°27’S latitude and 47°38’E and 47°46’E longitude, and includes sub-humid forest as well as mangrove forest and coral reefs. Both the vegetation and the climate of this area are transitional between those of the dry west coast and the humid Sambirano region in the northwest of Madagascar.

The Ankarafa Forest contains some of the largest continuous forest habitat of the Blue-eyed black lemur and the Sahamalaza sportive lemur, two critically endangered lemur species that form part of BCSF field research programme.

Please see the previous research projects for more information on Sahamalaza’s lemurs and ongoing research, conservation measures and abstracts of completed research.